Mining machine indicator



Jan. 22, 1963 J. E. KATLIC MINING MACHINE INDICATOR Filed Nov. 19, 19.39

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

JOHN E, KATLI C HIS ATTORN EY Jan. 22, 1963 J. E. KATLIC 3,074,373

MINING MACHINE INDICATOR Filed Nov. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i g ii--i| v INVENTOR.

JOHN E. KATLIC BY HIS ATTORNEY 3,974,373 G MAQEEVE DIDICATGR John E. Katiic, Morgantown, W. Va, assignor to Consolidation Coal (Jompany, Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 854,030 1 Ciaim. (Ci. 116-124) The present invention relates to continuous mining machines and more particularly to an improved indicator which indicates the direction and degree of horizontal swing of the mining machine ripper head.

Continuous miners of the type which have a mobile body portion mounted on endless type treads are utilized to cut and mine coal from coal mines and to mine minerals in other mining industries. The continuous miner has a ripper head or cutter head portion extending forwardly from the mobile body portion. The ripper head or cutter head itself consists of a series of bit-like members which attack and disintegrate the coal or mineral. The ripper head portion of the mining machine is mounted so that it is movable both vertically and horizontally relative to the body portion of the machine. This type of continuous mining machine has a conveyor element running longitudinally up the center of the machine to convey the cut coal or mineral from the cutter head to the rear portion of the machine from whence it is loaded onto shuttle cars or belt conveyors to be transported from the mine.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a simple, rugged indicating means which accurately indi cates the position of the ripper head portion of the mining machine to the machine operator. It is primarily concerned with providing an indicator which indicates the direction and degree of horizontal movement of the cutter head. This horizontal movement of the cutter head is termed swing and is provided to allow the operator to cut an area within the mine greater in width than the machine itself so that the machine may pass forwardly into the cut area.

Because of the length of the mining machine, the operator is usually at some distance behind the place where the machine is actually disintegrating the coal or mineral being mined. That is, the cutter head of the machine attacking the face of the mineral is some distance in advance of the operators position on the machine. Further, since the machine is attacking the coal or other mineral there is a degree of dust and fine particles created which obscures the operators view of the ripper head of the machine. Accordingly, a great deal of experience is required by the operator to enable him to accurately position the ripper head of the continuous mining machine in order to cut straight passages and to most eificiently remove the coal from the seam.

The present invention contemplates providing the continuous mining machine with an indicator which will accurately convey to the operator information as to the lateral position of the ripper head of the mining machine at all times. Thus, a relatively inexperienced machine operator may accurately position the ripper head to efiiciently remove the coal from the seam and to cut straight mine passages.

Because of the rugged service in which mining machines are utilized, it is necessary to make the parts of the mining machine as durable and wear resistant as possible. Further, it is desirable to have as little maintenance as possible on the various parts of the machine. The indicator of the present invention complies with these requirements.

For an indicator to be successful, it must be easily read and must convey the information presented by it readily to the observer. For this reason, it is desirable that the pointer of an indicator which is to convey information 3,9743% Patented Jan. 22, 1953 on the horizontal movement of the ripper head to the operator move in the same direction as the portion of the machine whose movement is being indicated.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an indicator for a continuous mining machine which will accurately indicate the direction and degree of ripper head horizontal movement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an indicator which is easily and economically constructed and mounted on a mining machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicator which is rugged enough to withstand the rough usage to which it will be subjected on a mining machine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an indicator in which the pointer of the indicator moves in the same direction as the ripper head of the machine whose movement it indicates.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent as this description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a continuous mining machine with the improved indicator thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a partial elevation taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing details of the indicator.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the indicator of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, FIGURE 1 shows the continuous mining machine in plan View. The mining machine body portion ilh is mobile and is mounted on endless type treads (not shown) so that it may advance toward the face 11 of the coal or mineral seam to be mined. The body portion 10 of the mining machine has extending forwardly therefrom a ripper head portion 12 which has the ripper head 13 of the mining machine mounted thereon. The ripper head 13 consists of a series of side by side cutting chains 14 which have cutter bits 15 projecting therefrom. The cutting chains 14 are driven so that the cutting bits 15 may strike and cut the face 11 of the mineral or coal. Behind the cutting chains 14, the ripper head conveyor 16 is provided to convey the cut away mineral or coal from the area of the chains 14 toward the rear of the mining machine. A pair of electrical driving motors 13 drive the conveyor 16 and the ripper head cutting chains 14 to disintegrate the coal and convey it backwardly from the ripper head 13.

The ripper head portion 12 is pivotally secured to the body portion 16 so that the ripper head portion 12 pivots horizontally about an axis which is vertically disposed below the conveyor 16. Thus, that portion 12 of the mining machine forward of the motors 18 may pivot relative to the body portion 10 of the mining machine. When the ripper head portion 12 swings, the body portion 10 remains in place while the ripper head portion 12 pivots horizontally about a vertical axis located immediately below-the ripper head conveyor 16. Coal from the conveyor in is deposited on the body portion conveyor 20 which serves to carry the coal rearwardly to the rear of the mining machine.

Mounted on the body portion 10 of the mining machine is an indicator assembly 22. As is best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 the indicator assembly 22 consists of a mounting bracket 24 which bridges the conveyor 20 of the mining machine. Mounting bracket 24 is secured to the mining machine body portion 10 as by welding. A pair of support arms 26 are formed on mounting bracket 24 and extend upwandly therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, support arms 26 are formed of short pieces of angle stock which are welded to the mounting bracket 24. A circular dial plate 28 is secured to the support arins 26 as by welding. The circular dial plate is' disc likeand is supported in a vertical plane transversely of the continuous mining machine body portion 10.

A pulley 30 is located concentrically with the dial plate 28 and is rotatably secured to the'ldial plate 28 by the pulley mounting bolt 32. The pulley 30 has a helical groove formed in its outer periphery so that a flexible member may enter the groove at one point on the pulley,

completely encircle the pulley circumference within the helical groove and leave the pulley at the point of entry in a portion of the helical groove adjacent the entry point.- An indicator pointer 34 is fixedly secured to the pulley 30 for a purpose to be more fully described. Dial plate 28' has a series of graduations 36 formed thereon as by at-- taching fluorescent tape or the like thereto. The purpose of the graduations 36 will become apparent at a later point in this specification.

An elongated, flexible actuator member or cable 40 which may be formed of wire rope or the like is provided to completely encircle the pulley 30 and extend therefrom in opposite directions. The elongated flexible actuator member or cable 40 extends between actuator guides 42 which are mounted on the mounting bracket 24. Actuator guides 42 each consists of a pair of rollers 44 freely mounted for rotation between the frames of the guides 42; These actuator guides serve to insure that the cable 40 will be maintained in the same'plane as the pulley sothat there will be no tendency for the cable 41} to be pulled axially from the helical groove in the periphery of the pulley 30; The ends of-the cable 40 are secured to the ripper head portion 12 of the mining machine at 41 adjacent the drive motors 18, as'is best seen in FIG- URE 1.-

In assembly of the indicator, the ripper head portion 12 is placed in alignment with the body portion so that there'is no horizontal displacement of the ripper head portion relative to the body portion. The pulley 30 is then placed so that the indicator is in the vertical, or 12 oclock position relative to the dial plate 28. The cable 40 is then wrapped about the periphery of the pulley 30 and fixedly secured at each end to the ripper head portion 12 as indicated at 41 in FIGURE 1. When the ripper head of the'mining machine is pivoted in a horizontal plane, the indicator pointer 34 moves, by rotation of the pulley 30, in the same direction as the ripper head 13 and moves a distance proportional to the degree of horizontal swing of the ripper head. Pulley 30, because it is rotatably secured to the fixed body portion 10 and is-in frictional engagement with the actuator member 40, rotates about the mounting bolt 32. The swingable ripper head portion 12, when swung, will'cause the cable 40 to change position relative to the mining machine body portion 10 and thereby cause the pulley to rotate.

The graduations 36 on the indicator dial 28 are placed to indicateone ripper head width of swing of the ripper head portion 12. Thus-the graduations will be placed so that-for a one ripper head width swing of the ripper head portion 12, the-indicator pointer 34 comes to rest on the first graduation 36 to the right of the 12' oclock dial position. For aswing which carries the ripper head 13 two ripper head widths right of center, the pointer34 will come to rest on the next graduated mark. in the same manner, utilizing the 12 oclock position as the zero swing positionof the ripper head 13, the first graduated mark 36 to the'left of the 12 oclock position will indicate one ripper head width left, and the second mark will indicate two'ripper head widths left.

It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a simple, rugged and accurate indicator for the swinging ripper head of a continuous mining machine. It provides an indicator in which the pointer of the indicator moves in the direction of the cutter movement which it indicates. Further, it is placed on the body portion of the machine straddling the body portion conveyor 20 so that it is readily visible and yet does not interfere with the operation of the mining machine.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction, and mode of operation of my invention andhave illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it'understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

In a continuous miner having a mobile body portion and a horizontally swingable ripper head portion extending forwardly therefrom, the improvement comprising indicator means mounted on said body portion to indicate the direction and degree of horizontal swing of said ripper head portion relative to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, said indicator means including. a pulley having; a helical groove in its outer peripheral surface and having an indicator pointer fixed thereto, a pulley mounting standard including a support portion and a dial portion fixed to said body portion in fixed relation to the operator of said continuous miner and having a dial with a plurality of graduations formed in a vertical plane thereon,

said pulley'rotatably mounted on said mounting standard ina vertical plane adjacent said dial, said indicator pointer overlapping said dial adjacent said graduations, an clon gated flexible actuating member having a centerportron wrapped about said pulley within said helical groove and two end portions extending in opposite directions from said pulley, guide means formed on said mounting standard to guide said actuating member end portionsand maintain saidend portions in the plane of said pulley adjacent said pulley, said actuating member end portions" secured to said miner ripper head portion beyond said mounting. standard guide means, said actuating member adapted to cause said pulley to rotate upon horizontal movement of said ripper head portion relative to said body portion, said indicator pointer, said dial and said.

pulley so constructed and arranged that said pointer moves across said dial in the direction of said ripper head horizontal movement a distance proportional to said degree' of movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Coal Mine Modernization, 1951, published by the American Mining Congress, Washington '6, DC, pages 

